FUN WITH FOOTWORK
Originally published September 21, 2000

Basketball coaches spend tons of time teaching players what to do with a basketball. Shoot it, dribble it, pass it in a million variations. Yet out of the 28 odd minutes in a basketball game, any given player touches the ball about two or three minutes, max.

What your kids do with the 98% of the time they don’t have the ball determines not only whether you win or lose, but whether you like or hate the game. The most common complaint from young players is that they feel lost when they don’t have the ball in their hands. Teach your players how and where to move without the ball and their whole attitude towards the game will change. So here is your first list of thing to teach your players before touching a ball.

STANCE AND SLIDE: A good basketball stance is the key to the game: wide, balanced, low, chin above the midpoint of their feet, with hands above the elbows. TIP: Have your players jump into their stance at random times during the practice by calling out “stance”. If you can easily push them off balance, they are probably leaning too far forward or not standing low enough.

Once they get their stance right, put it in motion. Make them stutter their feet rapidly, called “fire feet”. Have them slide from side to side, backwards and forwards, without coming out of their stance, Then pair them up and have one player move side to side while the other player slides or “mirrors” their movements. Whenever they stop moving side to side, they continue their “fire feet.” You are now building the basics of your defense. If you put an imaginary ball in their hand, you are building the basic offensive stance in basketball, the “triple threat” position.

HOPS: Learning to stop on a dime, the “jump stop”, is the foundation of tons of offensive skills. Have your players jog from the baseline and come to a two-footed stop at the free throw line. They should hop into a good balanced stance. TIP: Most kids will fall forward at first as they try to find their balance. Tell them to “squeak their tennis shoes” on the floor and “tuck their tail” as they land. As they get better at this skill, have them run faster before they stop.

BURST OF SPEED: Changing direction and speed is critical to any sport. Have your kids jog down court; on your command of “change!” have them turn and jog back in the direction they just came from. Go back and forth for 30 seconds. Then have them jog down court and explode with a burst of speed on your command of “go!”.

CUT AND SPIN: Nothing like spinning out of trouble to boost a player’s confidence. Have your players jog down court to their left; on your command of “turn!” have them abruptly change direction and “V” off to their right. TIP: have them plant their foot hard and push off this “power leg” as they change direction. Pull their arms through in the direction they are turning.

When they get pretty good at this, have them do “fire feet” right before they change direction. Add a “spin” by having them spin off into the opposite direction. Looks cool and is very effective.

PIVOT OUT OF TROUBLE: Pivoting is the lost soul of footwork, but you need it to get out of trouble or create space after you catch a ball. Line your players up and have them pretend they are squashing a bug with their foot as they turn from front to back. Do both feet, both directions. Once you get it down you’re ready to play!
More soon.
©2000 Adrienne Larkin